System and method for transporting molten metal

Abstract

A system and a method for automatically transporting molten metal are provided to produce a cast product with stable qualities. The system ( 1 ) for transporting molten metal from a furnace (F) to a pouring machine ( 100 ) comprises a ladle ( 10 ) for reaction, a device ( 50 ) for feeding an alloyed metal, a ladle ( 60 ) for pouring, a bogie ( 20 ) for receiving molten metal, and a bogie ( 70 ) for transporting the ladle for pouring, and a pouring machine ( 100 ). The bogie for receiving molten metal has a controller for it. The bogie for receiving molten metal has a controller for it. At least two of the controllers among the controller for the pouring machine, the controller for the device for feeding an alloyed metal, the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal, and the controller for the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring, are linked for the data communication.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for transporting molten metal from a furnace to a pouring machine comprising:
 a ladle for reaction that receives molten metal from the furnace so as to transfer the molten metal to a ladle for pouring; 
 a device for feeding an alloyed metal that feeds an alloyed metal to the ladle for reaction; 
 the ladle for pouring that receives the molten metal from the ladle for reaction and that transports the molten metal to the pouring machine;
 a bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, which bogie moves the ladle for reaction among a position for feeding the alloyed metal where the device for feeding an alloyed metal puts the alloyed metal in the ladle for reaction, a position for receiving the molten metal where the ladle for reaction receives the molten metal from the furnace, and a position for transferring the molten metal where the ladle for reaction transfers the molten metal to the ladle for pouring; 
 a bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring that moves the ladle for pouring from the position for transferring the molten metal so as to transfer the ladle for pouring to the pouring machine; and 
 the pouring machine that receives the ladle for pouring from the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring and that pours the molten metal into a mold; 
 wherein the pouring machine has a controller for controlling the pouring machine, 
 wherein the device for feeding an alloyed metal has a controller for controlling the device for feeding an alloyed metal, 
 wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a controller for controlling the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, 
 wherein the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring has a controller for controlling the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring, and 
 wherein at least two of the controllers among the controller for the pouring machine, the controller for the device for feeding an alloyed metal, the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, and the controller for the bogie for transporting the ladle for pouring, are linked for data communication. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system for transporting molten metal of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a first weighing scale that weighs the ladle for reaction, wherein the data on the weight of the ladle for reaction that has been measured by the first weighing scale is transmitted to the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, 
 wherein the pouring machine has a second weighing scale that weighs the ladle for pouring, wherein the data on the weight of the ladle for pouring that has been measured by the second weighing scale is transmitted to the controller for the pouring machine, 
 wherein the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring receives, as first data of information on weight, data on the weight of the molten metal in the ladle for reaction when the molten metal from the furnace has been received by the ladle for reaction, and 
 wherein the controller for the pouring machine receives, as second data of information on weight, data on the weight of the molten metal in the ladle for pouring, which molten metal has been transferred from the ladle for reaction, and further receives the first data of information on weight from the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, the controller for the pouring machine generating an error signal when a difference between the first data of information on weight and the second data of information on weight exceeds a predetermined first threshold. 
 
     
     
       3. The system for transporting molten metal of any of  claim 1  or  2 ,
 wherein the device for feeding an alloyed metal has a hopper for weighing that stores an alloyed metal to be put into the ladle for reaction and a third weighing scale that measures the weight of the alloyed metal in the hopper for weighing, wherein data on the weight of the alloyed metal that is measured by means of the third weighing scale is transmitted to the controller for the device for feeding an alloyed metal as third data of information on weight, 
 wherein the controller for the device for feeding an alloyed metal transmits the third data of information on weight to the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, 
 wherein the first weighing scale measures the weight of the alloyed metal that is put into the ladle for reaction to transmit the data on the weight to the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring as fourth data of information on weight, and 
 wherein the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring generates an error signal if a difference between the third data of information on weight and the fourth data of information on weight exceeds a predetermined third threshold. 
 
     
     
       4. The system for transporting molten metal of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the first weighing scale measures a weight of the ladle for reaction before the alloyed metal is put in the ladle for reaction, to transmit the data on weight to the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring as fifth data of information on weight, 
 wherein the first weighing scale measures the weight of the ladle for reaction after the molten metal is transferred to the ladle for pouring, to transmit the data on weight to the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring as sixth data of information on weight, and 
 wherein the controller for the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring generates an error signal if a difference between the fifth data of information on weight and the sixth data of information on weight exceeds a predetermined fourth threshold. 
 
     
     
       5. The system for transporting molten metal of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a device for inoculating while transferring the molten metal, the device inoculating the molten metal with an inoculant, which molten metal is being transferred from the ladle for reaction to the ladle for pouring. 
 
     
     
       6. The system for transporting molten metal of  claim 3 ,
 wherein at least two of the positions among the position for feeding the alloyed metal, the position for receiving the molten metal, and the position for transferring the molten metal where the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring travels, are the same. 
 
     
     
       7. The system for transporting molten metal of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a device for tilting that supports and tilts the ladle for reaction so as to transfer the molten metal from the ladle for reaction to the ladle for pouring. 
 
     
     
       8. The system for transporting molten metal of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a body of the bogie that has wheels to travel on a track, and a pantagraph-type device for vertically moving a table, which device is provided on the body of the bogie and vertically moves the device for tilting by means of a pantagraph. 
 
     
     
       9. The system for transporting molten metal of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a body of the bogie that has wheels to travel on a track, guiding columns that are provided on the body of the bogie, a vertically-moving table that horizontally extends from the guiding columns, that vertically moves above the bogie, and that mounts the device for tilting thereon, and a device for vertically moving the table. 
 
     
     
       10. The system for transporting molten metal of  claim 7 ,
 wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a body of the bogie that has wheels to travel on a track and a roller conveyor that is provided on the body of the bogie and that moves the ladle for reaction, and 
 wherein the device for tilting has a shaft for transferring the molten metal, which shaft holds the ladle for reaction at a center line to tilt the ladle for reaction, a sector gear that is connected to the ladle for reaction at a position that is different from the center line, to tilt the ladle for reaction, and a driver for driving the sector gear. 
 
     
     
       11. The system for transporting molten metal of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the device for feeding an alloyed metal has a plurality of hoppers that store the alloyed metal, a plurality of hoppers for weighing that feed a predetermined amount of the alloyed metal from the plurality of the hoppers to a chute, a plurality of the third weighing scales, and a plurality of gates that supply the alloyed metal that has been measured by the hoppers for weighing to the chute, and 
 wherein the third data of information on weight is the sum of the weights that are measured by the respective third weighing scales. 
 
     
     
       12. A method for transporting molten metal from a furnace to a pouring machine, comprising the steps of:
 transporting a ladle for reaction that receives molten metal from the furnace and that transfers the molten metal to a ladle for pouring to a position for feeding an alloyed metal, where the alloyed metal is put in the ladle for reaction; 
 putting the alloyed metal in the ladle for reaction; 
 transporting the ladle for reaction in which the alloyed metal has been put in to a position for receiving the molten metal from the furnace; 
 causing the ladle for reaction to receive molten metal from the furnace, which ladle for reaction has been transported to the position for receiving the molten metal; 
 transporting the ladle for reaction that has received the molten metal to a position for transferring the molten metal where the molten metal is transferred to the ladle for pouring; and 
 transferring the molten metal from the ladle for reaction, which has been transported to the position for transferring the molten metal, to the ladle for pouring; 
 wherein a first difference in the weights is calculated by using a weight of the molten metal that has been transferred from the ladle for reaction to the ladle for pouring by weighing the ladle for reaction and using a weight of the molten metal that has been transferred to the ladle for pouring by weighing the ladle for pouring, and 
 wherein the method further comprises the step of generating an error signal if the first difference in the weights exceeds a first threshold. 
 
     
     
       13. The method for transporting molten metal of  claim 12  further comprising the steps of:
 weighing the ladle for reaction that has received the molten metal from the furnace to detect a start of fading based on a variation of the weight and calculating an elapsed time from the start of fading; and 
 generating an error signal if the elapsed time from the start of fading exceeds a predetermined second threshold before the weight of the molten metal in the ladle for pouring after having poured the molten metal into a mold becomes less than a predetermined weight. 
 
     
     
       14. The method for transporting molten metal of  claim 12  or  13  further comprising the steps of:
 calculating a second difference in the weights based on a weight of the alloyed metal that is to be put in the ladle for reaction and a weight of the alloyed metal that has been put in the ladle for reaction by weighing the ladle for reaction; and 
 generating an error signal if the second difference in the weights exceeds a third threshold. 
 
     
     
       15. The method for transporting molten metal of  claim 12 ,
 wherein at least two of the position for feeding the alloyed metal, the position for transferring the molten metal, and the position for receiving the molten metal, are the same, so that in the step of transporting the ladle for reaction the ladle for reaction is not transported between the same positions. 
 
     
     
       16. A system for transporting molten metal from a furnace to a pouring machine comprising:
 a ladle for reaction that receives molten metal from the furnace so as to transfer the molten metal to a ladle for pouring; 
 a device for feeding an alloyed metal that feeds an alloyed metal to the ladle for reaction; 
 the ladle for pouring that receives the molten metal from the ladle for reaction and that pours the molten metal into a mold; 
 a bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, which bogie moves the ladle for reaction among a position for feeding the alloyed metal where the device for feeding an alloyed metal puts the alloyed metal in the ladle for reaction, a position for receiving the molten metal where the ladle for reaction receives the molten metal from the furnace, and a position for transferring the molten metal where the ladle for reaction transfers the molten metal to the ladle for pouring; and 
 a pouring machine that pours the molten metal in the ladle for pouring into the mold;
 wherein the pouring machine has a controller for controlling the pouring machine, 
 wherein the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring has a controller for controlling the bogie for receiving molten metal that has a mechanism for transferring, and 
 wherein the controller for controlling the pouring machine and the controller for controlling the bogie for receiving molten metal are linked for data communication.